Sofi Tukker Comes to Bumbershoot

The duo of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, better known as Sofi Tukker, sing in both English and Portuguese and have been jet-setting around the world since the release of their 2016 EP, Soft Animals. This year since their release the pair have been nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording, released three additional singles and have been featured on a few high profile commercials. And their bass-driven, profanity-laced tracks are energetic and catchy.

I had the absolute pleasure of getting a few minutes with Grammy nominated, house-inspired jungle pop band, Sofi Tukker, before their Bumbershoot Festival set. Here is what we chatted about.

Sofi Tukker – Photo courtesy of Bumbershoot

Lemonade Magazine: Hey guys! Thanks for taking some time out of your crazy schedule to have a chat with us again!

Sofie Hawley-Weld: Of course! Thank you!

Tucker Halpern: Yeah, Lemonade!

LM: Yeah, we chatted with you guys earlier this year before the Grammys. So how have you guys been?

TH: That’s right! Good. We just got in from LA last night and the week before we were in Mexico and before that Germany.

SHW: Sorry to interrupt, but I just had the most awkward encounter in the bathroom. Apparently there isn’t a women’s bathroom down there [in the press area], so I just went into the men’s side and a couple of teens or something walked in. I stepped out without washing my hands, so they could use the bathroom. They were in there a long time and I just wanted to wash my hands so I asked them if I could come in. Ha ha!

I asked them if they were just mixing their alcohol into their drinks and they just said, “Yeah…” It was pretty awkward and all I wanted to do was wash my hands!

TH: *laughs*

LM: *laughs* Well, that’s an interesting first experience at Bumbershoot. So besides that, what are your other thoughts on Bumbershoot so far?

TH: Oh, man, Bumbershoot is so different than most other festivals. Normally, in the media tent, it is an actual tent where you have to navigate a huge line of media and it is just a conveyor belt, but here it is so chill!

SHW: Yeah, I love Seattle. This area is so beautiful, I’ve always said I could live here. I used to live in Victoria, [British Columbia, Canada] when my family moved out here years ago. But I think people forget that Seattle is one of the rainiest cities in the US.

LM: Yeah, I think we get something like 300 days of clouds a year!

TH: I think the other thing about Bumbershoot is that when you walk in, it isn’t like any other festival. Normally, you enter and all you hear is the thumping bass from the other stages around, but here it is so serene. Everything is spread out that none of the other stages interfere with each other. It is pretty cool.

LM: So, now that you’re here, what artists are you excited to see?

Sofi Tukker – Photo by Aaron Mannari

TH: Sleep! We are going to head home basically right after our set. We have a 5AM flight back to New York in the morning. I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed. It is going to be so nice!

SHW: Yeah, we haven’t been home in like a month!

TH: But we did fly in last night and we were able to catch Die Antwoord! I have always wanted to see them perform and their set was so good! They did some stuff on stage that we would have never have thought to have done. It was so inspiring.

LM: Since the last time we talked to you was before the Grammys, what was the experience like?

SHW: It was an overwhelming and extraordinary experience. Luckily, we got to experience it with a couple of our closest friends and we were just trying to take it all in.

TH: Ha, yeah, we were just thinking the whole time, “What are we doing here?”

LM: I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be there!

SHW: It was amazing.

LM: So you guys have been featured on a few commercials over the last year including ones for the Apple Watch and Old Navy. What is it like to hear yourselves on TV?

TH: Honestly, Sophie doesn’t really watch a lot of TV.

SHW: Yeah, I don’t. So I don’t think I’ve seen any of them. Ha!

TH: Well, I watch a little TV here and there mostly for live sports, so I just have it on in the background usually, but when one of the commercials comes on, my first thought is, “Did I leave my computer on?” *laughs*

LM: *laughs*

TH: But then I realize it is on TV and it is still a little bit surreal.

LM: So Sophie you obviously speak Portuguese and Tucker you do not.

SHW: Yeah.

Sofi Tukker – Photo courtesy of Bumbershoot

TH: Nope. Not a word!

LM: Well, Tucker, during those interviews what do you do?

SHW: Tucker is definitely distracted by the Brazilian women, so he is well entertained!

TH: Ha, yeah! I think I’ve done this in a couple of interviews now, but during them they sometimes film them while we are in studio or something. And I just start making random faces to keep myself entertained, while Sophie talks and actually does the interview.

SHW: He does that a lot! He likes to do the old peek-a-boo face. That is kind of his go to. Yeah, you did it for some reason when I was getting out of the shower today too!

TH: Haha, I don’t even know why.

SHW: We are like giant children. Actually, isn’t that how it is though? We are all just giant children.

LM: So before you flew up to Seattle, you were down in LA to record some new music. How did that go?

TH: *laughs* well, it really didn’t work out exactly how we wanted to. We flew in directly from Mexico and Sophie got sick.

SHW: Yeah, I was basically contained to my hotel room for most of the time. I think I went down to the studio for a couple hours one day, but yeah, nope. It really didn’t work.

TH: Yeah, it is pretty hard to work on new stuff when we collaborate on everything, so we didn’t get much accomplished.

LM: Well, thank you again for taking the time to chat with us! I really appreciate it.

TH/SHW: Thank you!

You should pick up Soft Animals by Sofi Tukker on iTunes now along with their other singles! And check out the latest video for their single, “F*ck They”!